For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25:29 NKJV)
What is richness according to God?
Richness is in eternal life, not in these earthly things which we see with our own eyes. For they are but fleeting desires, which will fall away in hard times—like the dew on the grass before the sun rises.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Jesus talks of real treasures in heaven, not on earth. And that’s why He promises all those who follow Him real wealth (eternal life), not earthly riches. However, there is a verse where He hints at what God can entrust to a trustworthy servant. Yes, God can entrust wealth to His servants, as we see here in the Parable of the Talents…
The Parable of the Talents
So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done,good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
We see very clearly that our Lord is willing to entrust those who are faithful in little with much more.
It’s those little things God has given you freely that can turn you into a kingdom tycoon. For God freely gives to whomever wishes and whenever He feels like. For what does He say in Matthew 7:7 KJV
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
This promise is for every single Christian—not the pastors only, not the wise, neither the privileged. It’s for you and me and everyone.
Why are some Christians very rich yet others remain poor?
However, if God has blessed you in one sector or with a gift, He expects you to use it effectively to benefit the kingdom, even beyond that. We see in the parable above that the one who was given only five talents doubles them to produce another five. How much more have you helped others with those little resources God has entrusted you with?
Will you say you need more before you can be able to bless others?
How can you claim to want to rule over a city when you can’t even keep your own house in order?
Shall a babe who is still suckling milk be given meat to chew? Can you give a six-month-old baby solid food?
Or shall I say, will you claim to be able to finish a whole saucepan of food when you can’t even finish the little already on your plate?
It’s not that God doesn’t want you to be rich; it’s just that you haven’t used what He already gave you efficiently. I’m not trying to say that you are doing nothing, but maybe you are capable of doing much more than what you are doing now. For everything is the Lord’s.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
For He blesses each one accordingly, from His richness and glory. Now if you lack, ask. However, consider first what He has already entrusted to you. For it is His in the first place. And if you are a faithful servant, more shall be added to you—even beyond what you think or ask.
[Note: The riches of God are not as the riches of this world. Do not be deceived, for His wealth is eternity.]
On the contrary, those who claim they are poor or haven’t been blessed like the others are the ones who haven’t used the talents already in their hands. For these are from God, for everything is His, even your life!
So don’t wait for some supernatural breakthrough miracle or gift that will make you rich. No. Use what is already in your hands diligently with faith; in no time, you will become wealthy.
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
Still on the parable of the talents, we see that the one servant who instead hid the talent and returned it to his Lord as it had been given to him—we would have wondered why the Lord wasn’t happy with this last servant, yet the servant had given Him back exactly what He gave him?
And so are many of us like that last servant who buried the talent and expected the Lord to be happy with him on His return. We think when we become saved, the story ends there. Oh no, you are still very far behind although just past the gate. God expects us to work our way into prosperity, not by merely sitting on our hands but by getting our hands dirty for His sake. For this is why we are called: to give our life and be given another.
Those servants above who had received more talents and worked and earned more took a risk—they could have failed, but they nevertheless ended up with a profit somehow. And so are you expected to use the little you have to multiply it in every way possible. For our Lord blesses the work of our hands in every way—be it in loss or profit.
However, a lazy hand? Even what it is holding will be taken from it!
As the words which begin this essay resound: He who has, more shall be given, and he who lacks, even what he has shall be…
This is the principle all those who want to be rich follow—the Christian way. Be faithful in the little and God will open ways for more. On the contrary, fail to manage the little you already have, and even that will be taken.
Shall you call that unfairness or a motivator to work harder?
How then can we make the little entrusted to us increase to make us rich? Find out here
